Rock gouge



C. P- HALL ROCK GOUGE Aug. 1, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 11, 1947 IN V EN TOR,

ATTORN EY Aug. 1, 1950 c. P. HALL 2,517,426

ROCK GOUGE Filed Sept. 11, 1947 1; Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR,

ATTORl N EY Aug. 1, 1950 c. P. HALL 2,517,426

ROCK GOUGE Filed Sept. 11, 1947 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Charles R Hall INVENTOR,

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ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 1, l950 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE nocKeoUGE Charles Pl Hall; Lindsay, Okla. Application September 11, 1947, Serial No. 773,447

2 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to apparatus for gouging, plowing, or otherwise breaking up rock, shale, or conglomerate deposits upon the earth's surface. i

In digging basements, in excavating for oil field slush pits, and the like, comparatively thin layers of rock, shale and the likeare often encountered upon or near the earths surface. Removal of such deposits is expensive, when it is necessary to break them with hand tools or dynamite.

The prime object of the present invention is to provide a heavy gouge or plow which may be powered by a usual motor driven tractor, and which is capable pf loosening or breaking out in layers many of such deposits.

Another object is to provide a gouge of this class which is so arranged that downward thrust thereon may be applied by hydraulic rams.

A further object is to provide an apparatus in l which the gouging bits may be easily and quickly removed for replacement.

An additional object is to provide an apparatus which will'withstand the rough usage required by such operations:

Other objectswill be apparentfrom thefollowing description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying three sheets of drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the device operatively installed upon the rear end of a conventional tractor, the tractor being shown in dotted lines, and the device being depicted in raised position;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the device in its lowered position; and,

Figure 3 is a perspective view, looking from the front, of the rock gouging element.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral l indicates, as a whole, the rear portion of a conventional motor driven tractor.

In carrying the present invention into being, the tractor l is equipped with a heavy metal frame including spaced vertical posts 2 and 3, each of which is equipped with a rearwardly projecting arm 4 on its upper end. The lower ends of the post are connected by a suitable cross-member 5 and their upper ends are similarly connected by a cross-member 6. The posts and cross-members are supported on the tractor chassis frame, not shown, and the upper ends of the posts are held against swayingmovement, by suitable braces 1 and 8. The metal frame is preferably formed oftubular members welded together, and-except forthe'arms 4, is conventional.

To the lower peripheral surface of the crossmember 5 is welded a horizontal shaft 9; the opposite ends of which extend slightly beyond the cross-member.

The rock gouging element of the present invention includes a heavy rectangular body 10, made of solid steel, or other suitable material. The bodyhas two spaced forwardly extending arms II and I2 formed integrally therewith, and each of the arms has an up-turned hook I3 formed on its extreme forward end. The arms are spaced apart a proper distanceto permittheir engagement with the two laterally projecting ends of the shaft 9.-

The upper surface of each of thetwo arms is provided with a vertical shoulder l4, and a suitable'detent I5 is adapted to seat against each shoulder, and to be held in place by bolts 16. The detents iii are adaptedto close the spaces between the hook points and the arms in an obvious manwith-theshaft 9.- l r The gouge body [0 has a plurality of spaced through perforations H, which are polygonal in cross-section, and which are slightly tapered upwardly. Gouging bits [8 are adapted to be removably disposed in desired ones of the perforations [1.

The bits 18 are identical, and each consists of an upper shank l9 which is complemental in cross-section to the perforations IT, a surrounding stop-shoulder 20, and a tapered point portion 2| below the shoulder. The point portion 2| is bent slightly toward the tractor. The shank I9 is of sufficient length to pass upwardly through one of the perforations l1, and to project above the body I0. Removable pins 22 are adapted to be inserted through transverse perforations in the shanks in order to hold the bits in rigid engagement with the body 10.

As a means for pivotally swinging the body 10 vertically with relation to its pivotal axis (the shaft 9), the following described mechanism is provided.

The upper surface of the body 10 is equipped with two spaced upwardly projecting ears 23, each of which is provided with a transverse perforation 24. Pivotally connected to each of the ears 23 by a pivot pin 25 is the lower bifurcated end 26 of an upstanding piston rod 21.

The upper end of each of the piston rods 21 her, so as to hold the arms in pivotal engagement extends into the lower end of a hollow cylindrical piston chamber 28, and is equipped therein with a conventional piston head, not shown.

The upper end of each of the two piston chambers 23 has two upwardly projecting spaced cars 29. Each pair of the ears 29 embraces the rear end portion of one of the hereinabove described arms 4 on one of the posts (2 or 3), and a pivot pin 30 is provided to connect the ears and the arm.

A hose line 3| leads to the upper end of each of the piston chambers 28 from a seat of fluid supply, not shown, but which is adapted to de liver fluid under pressure to the piston chamber above the piston therein.

A second fluid conveying hose 32-leadsto the lower end of each of the two piston. chamberslfi. from the fluid supply seat.

The two pistons may be simultaneously moved in a downward direction, by simultaneous intrdu tien .ef p ssur l id; n o ev hamb r hrough the ppe h sel es A uitable ua y p r d.eentro valve. not sho n. is p o: v de iin he p umb n co ec on of e e lines; 3 I! and 32inorder to, selectively control fluid ew h .p sten h mber i h ou h the two lines. 3|.or the two lines 32 simultaneously therethrough.

The exposed. lower. portions of the two piston r0ds. 2[l m a y,b,e surrounded by; a suitable c01- ensiblez ber. n elope 3. f red'. in rder to protect the piston rods against dirt.

F uidp f su emay. e live ed n o the pi o chambers imui n eu l el ws epis en ads tl re n..tl1r ush t e two i es- 2- When o dew ver d-x the ou e. is raisedr h de ice. 'e era ed n n obvious. mann r by merely selectively controlling delivery of pres-v refl d 0. h p ston; h m er t S in ed utx h t e p sent e han sm may; be. installed. on, conventional tractors without modifying them further thanproviding the arms lv anci welding the horizontal shaft a to the ross-membe I t. is also. oin ed out that. he. a ran eme t is such that the device may be installed .andzzopere ated without interfering with the usual Winch mechanism of winch equipped tractors. The device does not interfere with the usual operation of the usual winch cable 36 over the usual roller 31 or operation of the usual winch drum 38.

It is pointed out that when the gouge bits [8 are thrust downwardly into the earths surface, substantially the whole weight of the rear end of the tractor may be utilized to urge the bit points intothe'gr'ound.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practiability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined. to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim; V

1'. In'earth working equipment adapted to be drawn'along the earth's surface by an automotive vehicle, the combination with a rigidly mountz eier liy di p sed he zen el iraw arar i aten ve dfef he i e. e ateral sp sed home tal 9 err-v ne. beam; ferw m? jecting horizontal parallel arms carried b y the beam a-unturned e wer v QP- q the fe iv rci n et a arm eid e adap 9. 1 .4 9 fiwt'bfi f n r m 'e attachedto each arnr in position to. retain the draw-bar in. the hook.

2;. Structureas .sp epifieddn. claim 1, in which the keeper includes a rigid metalblock bolted to the armg; andiaforwardly facing vertical shoulcler in the upperface ofthe-arrri and against which hekeeee is abe te ABLE$ REFERENCE-S ite.-

The following.referencesare of record in the file ofthis patent;

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